Car-coupling



(Ha Medel.) zsneens-sneet 1. Gv. B. CUTLER.

GAR GGUPLING.

YPatented Mar.27,1883.

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0.33. CUTLBR. GAR GOUPLING.

Nu.` 274,569. Patented Mar. 27,1883.

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UNiTED STATES-V PATENT OFFICE. j

CLARENCE B. UUTLER, OF SCHODACK, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,569, dated March 27, 1883.

' Application filed December 4, 1882. [No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CLARENCE B. UUTLER, of the townof Schodack,county of Rensselaer, and State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Rail way-0ar Coup lers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail way-car couplers; and, as will hereinafter he more fully described, it consists in the manner of constructing a twopart coupler, each of which half is the oppositely-placed counterpart of the other, and both of which have laterally a U form, which is provided with an interiorlyplaced latch, that opens so as to allow one of the sides of each coupler-half to enterbetween the two sides ot' the other to interlock, and then closes automatically to secure them in such position.

Accompanying this specification, and forining a part, of it, are two plates of drawings, containing eighth guresillustratin g my inven tien, and in all of which the same designation of parts by letter reference is used.

Figure l is a plan view of the mechanism with the parts connected. 4 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a separated half of the apparatus. Fig. 3 shows a combined side elevation. and vertical section of aV separated half of the mechanism; Fig. 4,21, plan view of a separated half of the coupler, with the latch shown as open. Fig. 5 illustrates in a combined plan and transverse horizontal section a separated half of the coupler with the'latch closed. Fig. 6 is a perspective oi' the coupler-half attached to the draw-head of the car. Fig. 7 shows a part of the side of the coupler-half turned outwardly to illustrate the latch-chamber, the disconnected and separated latch being indicated in an annex figure, A7. Fig. 8 shows the same parts that are illustrated at Fig. 7, with the exception that the latch-cams are differently constructed.

The several parts of which each half of the coupler is composed are designated by letter reference, and the operation of the parts del scribed as follows:

The letters C' and C2 indicate the two counterparts or halves forming the coupler, each of which, from where attached to the draw-head H, is bifurcated or forked, so as to have the inwardly-curved vertical sides O O2. Within one of these sides of each part there is shown as constructed the latchchamber L'.

The letter L2 indicates a vertical latch, which has a hinging-rod, R, secured to it, and b b designate bearings for the latter.

Pci-indicates a crank formed on the hingingrod, which is weighted at N to operate the latch.

Upon the bottoni and top of the latchchamber L, at M', are indicated spiral camsurfaces helically formed around the hin gingrodhearings b b, and upon the top and bottoni of the latch IE are constructed the spiral canisnrl'aces M2, and these are also formed helicall y around the hinging-rod R and lnade to coincide with the other cam -snrfaces, (indicated at M.)

The letter N2 designatesa latch stop or catch constructed upon the exterior entering side of each` coupler-half, and S S indicate springs placed between a downward projection on the draw-head block and the draw-head.

With the parts thus constructed and arranged, When the latch-catch sides O O of each part ofthe coupler enter the U-form spaces between the sides of each half of the mechanism the latches are forced outwardly on their hinged connection by the entering sides, and so that thelatches assume the posi tion indicated at Fig. et. When the vertical catch-surface N2 has passed the vertical surface N -of the latch L the latter swings out, so that the vertical surfaces N and N2 engage to lock the coupler, the latches rising on the camv surfaces M' M2 to open and descending by gravity to close along the same'.

To facilitate the descent of the latches', and to cause them to close promptly, the end of the crank-arm R2, formed on the hinging-rod, is weighted,'as indicated at W. The coupler thus automatically closed and interlocked is un-v conpled by means of the cranks R2, by which the latches are moved outwardly, so that their vertical surfaces N' do not engage with the catch-surfaces N2 on the interlocking and tongning sides of the coupler parts.

At M3, Fig. 6, I have shown a cam projection formed on the wall of the latch-chamber L', and a cam-recess on the latch to receive this cam projection, the same being a modification of my invention.

At A, Fig. 6', there is shown a recess cut from one side of the forked half of the coupler to adapt the same to receive the ordinary link,

and a vertical hole for the pin used with the latter, so that a lcar Which has not my improved coupler can be attached to the latter, if necessary.

At d, I have shown a pin which is by a chain and ring conected with the crank R2, the ob ject of which pin is to key the parts together, the pin passing down, as shown by a dotted line, through the top of the latch-chamber into the top of thelatch. This latterfeature, though useful in some cases, is not essential to the working of my invention.

In attaching my coupler the ordinary draw-l head and draw-head take-up spring' are used, and my coupler is attached to the draw-head in any suitable manner. Upon the draw-head block B downward projections a a are constructed, to the inner sides of which are attached the springs S S, so that the latter are between such projections and the sides ofthe draw-head, the purpose of which springs is to regulate the lateral motion ot' the draw-head.

A two-part coupler thus made connects antomatically, and the vertical depth of the attaching latch and catch on the entering and interlocking parts is such that, even though they horizontally lap past one another to some extent when one platform is above the other, they produce a stron g and safe connection.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S-

l. A car-coupler made in two parts, each of which is the counterpart of the other,and each half of which, in combination, is constructed with a U form and vertical sides, a verticallyhinged latch that is within a chamber in one of the vertical sides, which latch has an interior vertically-en gaginglatch-face, is constructted to turn inwardly and riseon inclined cams to open and descend on said cams by gravity to close, and a vertically-faced latch-catch constructed on the other and opposite side of the coupler-half, substantially as shown and described.

lto ton gueinto each other, of avertically-hin ged and vertically-facin g latch made to operate in a latch-chamber formed in one of the vertical sides of each half of the coupler, and. constructed to rise on inclined cams and turn inwardly to open, and to turn outwardly from the side and descend by gravity on said cams to close, and a latch-,catch constructed eXteriorly on each one of the tonguing sides of the two coupler-halves to engage vertically with the aforesaid latches, inthe manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a two-part car-coupler, each half of which isconstructed to have a U form, with vertical sides that are adapted to ton gue in to each other, of avertically-hinged and vertically-facing latch made to operate in a latch-chamber formed in one of the vertical sides of each halt` of the coupler, and constructed to rise on inclined cams, turn inwardly to open` and outwardly from the chamber and inner side of the coupler-half to descend on said cams by gravity to close, and a vertical latch-catch constructed exteriorly on each on-e ofthe tonguing sides of the twocoupler-halves, to engage vertically with the aforesaid latches of each coupler part, and cranks on the latchhinging rods, arranged and constructed to-op erate substantially as herein shown and described.

Signed at Troy, N. Y this 1st day of December, 1882.

CLARENCE B. CUTLER.

Witnesses:

SUMNER P. HUNT, CHARLES S. BRINTNALL. 

